Extended Realities and New Digital Approaches in Architecture Education: Model for Integration in the Design Process

Extended Reality (XR) combines Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) to create immersive environments. In architecture and urbanism, XR has the potential to transform project representation. Integrating XR and digital means requires a theoretical reflection on its impact on teaching, shifting focus from coded representations to aesthetic and qualitative aspects of design. This study aims to systematize XR integration in the Computer-Aided Architectural Drawing (CAAD) course. Employing the research-action method, immersive devices and strategies were planned, implemented, and evaluated. The proposed model facilitates XR adoption throughout the design process, utilizing BIM tools, VR headsets, and 3D printing. This research contributes to practice, promoting students' spatial representation skills and the ability to experience and design within the environment being created. And as a theoretical contribution, it examines the evolving design representation languages and the essence of teaching in the era of digital changes.